arXiv:cond-mat/9812105 v1 7 Dec 1998

Proceedings of the Conference

Path Integrals from peV to TeV
Firenze, August 1998
to be published by World Scientific

The Quantum Dissipative Villain Model

G. Falci(1) , G. Giaquinta(1) and U. Weiss(2)
(1) Istituto

di Fisica, Universit`
a di Catania, 95125 Catania (I)
& Istituto Nazionale per la Fisica della Materia E-mail: gfalci@ing.unict.it
(2) II.Institut f
ur Theoretische Physik, Universit
at Stuttgart, 70550 Stuttgart (D)
Abstract
We introduce the Quantum Dissipative Villain (QDV) model as a prototype model to study tunneling in dissipative quantum mechanics. Dissipation
is provided by a coupled linear environment. In the QDV model, the discrete
character of a tunneling degree of freedom coupled to an environment is explicit, leading to a rich dual structure. We derive general exact mappings of
the QDV model on several dual discrete representations, including pairs of
self-dual models, for general linear environments and arbitrary temperatures.
Self-duality allows to write exact equations for each correlation function of
each representation. Analogies with the theory of classical network transformations are also presented. Finally we discuss the fundamental character of
the QDV model. For instance, the standard Caldeira-Leggett model, which
describes, e.g., mesoscopic Josephson junctions in a circuit and many other
physical systems, is a special QDV model. The self-dual structure of the
QDV model allows then the exact generalization of the Schmid approximate
self-duality to general linear environments and arbitrary temperatures.

Introduction

Quantum dissipative systems can be described in terms of system plus environment hamiltonians[1] where a special quantum variable interacts with
an environment of harmonic oscillators. The reduced dynamics of obtained
by integrating out the reservoirs degrees of freedom is studied. An effective
euclidean action is found which, for state-independent dissipation, reads
1
S[] =
2

d d ( ) A( ) ( ) +

d V()

(1)

where V() is the potential. The kernel, whose Fourier transform (FT) is[2]
A() = m 221 (), with = 2n/, contains the kinetic mass term and the
damping term () subsuming the spectral properties of the bath coupling [1].
If V() describes a tunneling problem then the variable has an underlying discrete character even if it is defined to be continuous. For instance,
the low energy properties of the double-well potential V() = V (2 a2 )2 are
approximately accounted for by a two-state system. However, it is impossible
to find the exact relation for a generic environment.We now introduce a model
which displays the discrete character of the continuous variable by writing
1

hX

exp{1/(2)

V( ) ln

V ( 2m )2 } J ,

{m }

(2)

where we added a source J . Here we are considering a version of eq.(1) on a

lattice with N sites and spacing /N = 1/. We name it Quantum Dissipative
Villain (QDV) model because eq.(2) is the Villain approximation[3] of the
potential V() = V cos J in the Caldeira-Leggett (CL) model[4].

Dual representations of the QDVM

m-representation:
We integrate in the partition function of the QDV
model, which becomes Z QDV [J ] = Z V [J ] Z (m) [J (m) ] . Here Z V is the
partition function of the damped harmonic oscillator (DHO), and
Z

(m)

[J

(m)

] =

12

{m }

m
,

( 2V
)

2 GV
V ,

m +

(m)

m J

is a 1-D surface roughening model with interacting heights[5] m . The source

(m)
is J = 2V GV J . and GV is the Greens function of the discretized
DHO, given by GV = ( ||) [m 2 ()/2 + V ]1 , for large
enough .
e-representation:
Z (e) [J (e) ]

{e }

We introduce e := m +1 m and rewrite Z (m) as

1

e 2

P
h

e e +

= (2V /)2 1/V GV

(e)

J e

(3)

J(e) = 2iV / GV J , (4)

obtaining a gas of interacting charges[5] e ] , [.

n-representation:

Another charge representation can be obtained starting

from the QDV model, performing a Poisson transformations (which changes

m n) and then integrating out . We obtain[5] Z QDV [J ] = Z 0 [J ]
Z (n) [J (n) ] where Z 0 describes a Brownian particle and Z (n) has the same
structure of Z (e) eq.(3), being a gas of n ] , [ charges with interaction
and source given by
D = /V + 2 G0 ;
J(n) = i G0 J .
(5)

Exact Self-duality

The Z (e) and Z (n) represent the same model, with modified interaction and
sources. This means that the QDV model has an exact self-dual structure[5].
A simple reformulation of this self-dual mapping is obtained if we introduce
the functions 0 () = ||/(2) G0 and () = 0 () + ||/(2V ) . Then
we rewrite 1 D = 2/|| () and 1 = 2/|| [()]1 . The transformations of the interaction and of the source are finally given by
() 1/() ,

J(n) = /|| () J(e) .

and

(6)

We can also write exact relations between correlation functions of the

representations of the QDV model. For instance, the FT of the correlation
function h 0 i of the QDV model is related to hn ni =: ||/(2) C [] by
n

||/(2) hi = 0 () 1 0 () C [()] .

(7)

Using self-duality, the relation between the e-e and n-n correlation functions
becomes an exact equation for C
() C [()] + 1 () C [ 1 ()] = 1 .
We have not yet specified the environment, i.e. the function (). Both
() and 1/() have to be strictly positive for 6= 0 since otherwise the integrations involved in the transformations cannot be performed. Moreover the
calculation of dynamic correlation functions involves the analytic continuation
|| p i + 0+ , so it is desirable that (p) is analytic in Re p > 0. Thus
we require that (p) has the properties of the impedance of a linear passive
bipole[6]. The analogy with network theory involves also duality. Namely,
eqs.(6) for Re p > 0 can be reparaphrased by associating to each charge representation a circuit with a non linear quantum component X , the interaction
(p) corresponding to the impedance seen by X and the current bias being
(.)
Jp (see fig.1). Then the quantum self-dual transformation for the charge
models, eqs.(3,5,6), correspond to transforming the linear elements and the
source of the circuit using the known[6] classical dual and Norton transformations, while keeping unchanged the non-linear quantum component X .

(a)

duality
( p)

1/( p)

Norton

1/( p)

- J (n)

(b)

X
J (e) = - ( p) J

J (n)

(n)

Figure 1: The n-representation corresponds to circuit (a), (p) being the impedance
seen by X ; the circuit (b) is obtained by a dual plus Norton transformation and
corresponds to the e-representation. For the CL model we have 2m RQ C,
(p) pRQ /[Z(p)], 2V RQ /L, where RQ = h/(4e2 ). Then RQ (p) =
[Z 1 (p) + pC]1 + pL.

Further developments

The above results are significant in view of the fundamental character of the
QDV model. Indeed, the well known CL model can be obtained exactly from
the QDV model in the continuum limit[5] if V /[2 ln(2/V )]. In other
words this choice makes exact the Villain approximation. In this case the low
frequency limit of eq.(6) reproduces both the approximate Schmid self-duality
and the correspondence.[7] The exact self-dual structure of the CL
model was recently found for a special environment.[8] Here we find that it
holds true for arbitrary temperatures and general environments.
When the CL model describes a mesoscopic Josephson junction[2] in a
circuit the analogy with network theory (see fig.1) becomes more stringent.
The lowest order in the Coulomb-gas representation[5] of the n-model is the
standard theory of the influence of the environment[9, 1] and calculations
can be performed numerically for any external impedance. The same can
be done for the lowest order in the e-representation, which corresponds to
a single-instanton contribution[1, 2]. Duality network relations for a purely
resistive environment, justified by the results of Schmid[7] have been used for
mesoscopic junctions since a long time[2]. They are here substantiated and
generalized.

Acknowledgments
G.F. acknowledges R. Fazio and M. Annino for discussions and suggestions,
EU (TMR - FMRX CT 960042) and INFM (PRA-QTMD) for support.

References
[1] U. Weiss, Quantum Dissipative Systems, Series in Modern Condensed
Matter Physics, vol. 2, second Edition, World Scientific Singapore 1998.
[2] G. Sch
on and A.D. Zaikin, Phys. Rept. 198, 237 (1990).
[3] Savit, Rev. Mod. Phys. 52, 453 (1980).
[4] A.O. Caldeira and A.J. Leggett, Phys. Rev. Lett. 46, 211 (1981).
[5] G. Falci and U. Weiss, Journ. Superc., Oct. 1998 issue.
[6] L.O. Chua, C.A. Desoer, E.S. Kuh, Linear and Non Linear Circuits, Mc
Graw Hill, New York, 1969.
[7] A. Schmid, Phys. Rev. Lett. 51, 1506 (1983); M. Sassetti, H. Schomerus
and U. Weiss, Phys. Rev. B 53, R2914 (1996).
[8] P. Fendley and H. Saleur, Phys.Rev.Lett. 81, 2518 (1998) 2518.
[9] G.L. Ingold and Yu.V. Nazarov, in Single Charge Tunneling, H. Grabert
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